Fastener



May 18 1926.

. C. MFE

FASTENER Filed Jan. 18,

jm da' A'ITORNEY Patented May 18, 1926.

1,585,478 lfa'lhl Fli'ilil.

IKLEY C. FIFE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNOIL TO STANDARD RIGHTSCOMPANY OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

FASTENER.

Application filed January 18, 1924.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fasteners andmore particularly to a garment fastener of the separable type. The mainobject of the present invention is the provision of a garment fasteneradapted to be attached in a novel manner upon opposite sides of an openportion of a garment, whereby thel side portions of the garment may bequickly and readily secured together,

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fastener of theseparable type wherein the overlapping of the edges of the opening inthe garment may be carried out in either direction and the fastener soarranged with respect to the edge of the garment that the overlappingportions may be securely fastened down regardless in the direction inAwhich they are overlapped.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a fastenerof the separable type wherein the male and female portions of thefastener are constructed in a single unit whereby when the fasteners areapplied to opposite sides of an opening in a garment, the garment may bebuttoned in either direction as the relative positions of the male andfemale portions will be such as to permit the fastening of theoverlapped portions when extended in either direction.

A further.V object of the invention is the provision of a .garmentfastener of the detachable type which will eliminate the necessity ofsewing buttons on the garment or making the usual button holes thusreduc ing the cost of manufacture of garments at the present time.

With the above and other objects in vieu the invention consists in thenovel features in construction, the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims and shown inthe accompanying drawings in which z- Fig. 1 is a plan view illustratingmy improved fastener attached to the garment.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

5 Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the fastenerillustrating parts of the same in elevation.

Fig. 4t is a transverse section through the fastener.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section illustrating 'a reference character 16.

Serial No. 687,110.

` Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the retaining keeper.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal section illustrating still another form of theinvention.

In carrying out my invention it will be noted that both the male andfemale portions are constructed to provide a single unit and in thisconstruction a plate l is provided having an annular flange 2 thereonupon which is itted the cover plate 3 having an inturned flange ladapted to be arranged in abutting relation with the flange 2 on thebody plate l. This forms a suitable casing for housing the keeper 5formed from a resilient strip of ribbon wire. bent substantiallyU-shaped and arranged transversely with respect to the casing upon itsbight portion which iswelded or otherwise secured as at 7 to the innersurface of the flange 2. The keeper 5 projects transversely of thecasing with one end terminating a short distance from the opposite sideof the casing to which the intermediatel portion of the U member 6 isfastened as shown in Fig. 3, and formed in the flanges Q- and 3 are theslots 8 arranged in alignment with the keeper 5.

Mounted upon the side arms of the U shaped member 6 are oppositelydisposed plates 9 spaced from the body platel providing a space betweenthe body plate and the plates 9 to accommodate the retaining head of afemale portion of the fastener similar to that hereinafter described andindicated by The meeting edges ofthe plates 9 have arcuated recesses 10formed therein providing a circular opening when the meeting edges ofthe plates 9 are in abutting relation with respect to each other asillustrated in 3 for the passage of the head 1G. These plates 9 aremounted upon the side arms of the U member 6 at a point intermediate theends of the arms and the outer ends of the arms of the U shaped memberare curved inwardly to form the loops 1l, said loops being arranged inopposed relation as shown in Fig. 3 and normally disposed in engagementwith the outer surfaces of these loops is a triangular plate 1Q the apexof which is normally disposed between the loops 1l with its sidesnormally contacting the outery surfaces of the loops whereby inwardpressure of the triangular plate l2 will separate or move the arms ofthe U shaped member 6 away from each other enlarging the opening formedby the arcuate recesses 10 in the abutting edges of the plates 9, thepurpose of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Arranged within the casing is a spring member 13 the ends of which arebent outwardly at an angle to the body of the loop of the spring andextended in parallel relation to the recesses 3 to a point beyond theouter surfaces of the casing. The ends of the spring member are thenextended in a longitudinal plane toward each other and arranged withinthe sleeve 14 formed by rolling the base edge of the triangular plate12, From this it will be apparent that the plate 12 is yieldably mountedupon the ends of the spring member 13 so that when pressure is relievedfrom the plate 12 the spring member 13 will have a tendency to returnthe plate 12 to its normal position as shown in Fig. 3 to permit thesaid arms of the U member 6 to assume their normal parallel position andallow the inner edges of the plates 9 to assume their abuttingrelationship.

Formed with the intermediate body plate 1 is a shank 15 having a head 16upon its outer end preferably pointed as shown in Fig. 4 and the head isfurther provided with an angular groove 17. Disposed between the headand the fabric 18 to which the fastener is attached is a clamping plate19 which will prevent the head 16 from being drawn through the fabric 18under ordinary strains.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in placing one of myimproved fasteners upon each side of an opening in a garment, the maleportion of the fastener upon one side of the opening may be readilyengaged with the fastener upon the other side of the opening byinserting the head portion 16 through the opening 20 formed in the coverplate 3 until the head engages the opening formed by the arcuateportions in the plate 97 whereby pressure exerted upon the fastener willmove the head member between the plates 9 until the outer end of thesame has passed beyond the edge of the plates at which time the yieldingmovement of the side arms of the U member 6 will tend to force the edgesof the arcuate recesses into the angular groove 17 and retain the headportion of one fastener within the casing of an adjacent fastener. Inorder to disengage the fasteners pressure is exerted upon the outer edgeof the triangular plate 12 which will force the apex of the platebetween the curv-ed portions of the loops 11 imparting movement to thearms of the U member 6 in opposite directions so as to readily disengagethe plates 9 from within the groove 17 of the head member 16.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slightly modified form of the inventionwherein the plates 9 are extended out to the ends of the arms 6 of thekeeper 5 and the side edges of the plate are extended transverselyacross the ends of the arms 6 and are provided with opposed recesses 10in which is fit-ted the apex of the substantially triangular shapcspring member 12. This spring member is formed of a single length ofmaterial having its ends welded or otherwise secured to the inner wallof the flange 2 at a point adjacent the slots 8, while the intermediateportion of the spring is bent to form the triangular shaped portion 12with the finger pieces 21 disposed in opposed relation as shown in Fig.5 and forming a suitable bearing surface whereby pressure exerted uponthese finger piecesAvill force the triangular shaped portion 12 inwardlyinto the opening formed by the recesses 10 spreading or forcing the armsof the members 6 in opposite directions to move the plates 9 away fromeach other.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated still another form of the invention whereinthe arms of the U shaped member 6a are extended through the slots 8aformed in the wall of the casing, the outer ends of said arms beingextended inwardly on an incline as shown at 22 and have their inner endslooped in opposite directions as at 23 with the loops normally bearingagainst each other. When the loops 23 are in normal engagement theopening formed by the recesses 10a in the plates 9a, provide asubstantially cylindrical opening as shown in Fig. 7 for retaining thehead portion of the fastener in position, and in order to separate ormove the arms 6a away from each other a pressing movement upon the innerends of the inclined ends 22 will have a tendency to move the arms 6aaway from each other and move the abutting edges of the plates 9a inopposite directions to provide for the release of the head from theplates 9a.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided an improvedgarment fastener whereby the same may be quickly and readily attached toa garment and arranged upon opposite sides of an opening in the garmentwhereby the side flaps of said opening may be overlapped in eitherdirection and normally fastened down or readily detached when it isdesired to open the flaps.

While I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention Iwish it to be understood that various changes and alterations may becarried out during the manufacture of the same without departing fromthe spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A fastener ofthe class described comprising a casing including a body plate, a keeperconfined in the casing, said keeper including a resilient strip ofribbon wire bent substantially Ushaped and arranged transversely of thecasing with its bight portion secured thereto, members mounted upon thearms of the U-shaped keeper in spaced relation with the body plate andwith corresponding` edges normally in aligned abutment with respect toeach other, said edges having arcuated recesses formed therein providinga circular opening when the edges are in abutting relation with respectto each other, and means movable into engagement with the keeper formoving the edges from abutting relation with respect to each other.

2. A fastener of the class described including a casing having anopening and a slot formed therein, a keeper confined in the casing andarranged transversely with respect thereto, said keeper includingoppositely disposed portions having corresponding edge portions inaligned abutment, said portions having arcuated recesses formed in theirabutting edge portions providing an opening in alignment with theopening of the casing opening, a spring member confined in the casinghaving portions extending exteriorly of the slot, and a member movablein the slot having curled edge portions receiving the portions of thespring member eXteriorly of the casing and having a portion in abutmentwith the keeper for separating the aligned abutting edge portions upondownward movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

IKLEY C. FIFE.

